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Thread: Anyone using a 45-70 neck sizer die?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Anyone using a 45-70 neck sizer die?

    Rather specialized item, decaps and sizes the neck area. Stumbled across it looking for a taper crimp die.

    https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018047537?pid=193916
    "If everyone is thinking the same thing it means someone is not thinking"

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  2. #2
    Boolit Master Castaway's Avatar
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    Lately I’ve been using a Lee Loader to neck size my smokeless 45-70 loading. If loading a cast or patched bullet, you can then take the depriming rod, turn it upside down and place in the bottom of the case. By rolling the rod against the inside of the case mouth, you can bell the case adequately to seat a lead bullet or patched bullet without tearing the jacket

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Not really a a true neck die but I use a mecham bushing die for my 40-65, 45-70 and 45-90 same body. No stem just the bushing to size to the right size. I have 4 set of bushings one for grease groove and one for paper patched in each caliber. While the die is expensive it is doing the jib if 4 fixed dies 2 if which would be hard to find ( the Paper Patch are bore riders so smaller dia needing to be sized smaller).

    If your loading for one rifle or all your 45-70s were cut with the same reamer the neck die does a good job. If your chambers vary you may need to keep separate brass or partial full length size.

    With the right bushing in this die I can do away with the expander plug and just size to where I need to be. Since I thumb / hand seat I can get the perfect fit . But this die does only size the neck portion.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    I use the Lyman neck sizer die. They make them for the short or long 45 caliber cartridges. The short one is the one for 45/70. These rounds are for single shot rifles where the cases are fire formed and only neck sized. For lever actions I use a full length sizing die.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    I ordered a Redding a one from MidSouth. Since i have only one 45-70 rifle, should work well.
    "If everyone is thinking the same thing it means someone is not thinking"

    "A rat became the unit of currency"

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    I use a Lyman neck sizer and a neck sizer that Rapine sold [appears to have been a CH die]. The Lyman sized the neck the least and is what i use for cast bullet loading. Still, it sizes the necks for .458/459 sized bullets. The CH sizes the necks for .457 bullets and is used with jacketed bullets for my 450-400-70 (45-70) Mauser. Of course, the appropriate size expander/M-die is used with either.
    Larry Gibson

    “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
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  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    Hopefully the Redding will size the neck for a .457" boolit. Having two sets of dimensions for 45-70 chambers and groove diameter complicates things......i do have a Noe expander plug that does a nice job with my .457" boolits.
    "If everyone is thinking the same thing it means someone is not thinking"

    "A rat became the unit of currency"

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    Another solution to reduce working of the brass is to back out a FL sizing die 5-7 turns. I do this for my cast bullet 45/70 loads and expand with a .458 expander. Cases sized in this manner fit my Sharps and 1886 Browning. Measuring cases fired in both rifles, the dimensions are virtually identical and cases fired in one will fit in the other. How often does that happen. Chambers are pretty tight as a .460 boolit will just slide into a fired case. I don't crimp target loads for the Sharps and those to be single loaded in the Browning.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    The die arrived from MidSouth along with a couple pounds of AA5744. Looks like it will work fine for my .457" boolits. Used a Noe expander plug to get it started.

  10. #10
    Boolit Bub dirtball's Avatar
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    I use a 45-70 neck sizer with my 45-90, adjusted to just barely taper the neck to hold my PP bullets after the unsized cases are loaded with powder and wads, then taper, and then insert bullet by hand.

    Dave
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  11. #11
    Banned bigted's Avatar
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    When I loaded paperpatch for smokeless powder ... I would run the primed powdered unsized case into my RCBS size die only far enough to size the mouth enough that the patched boolit would not fall out of the upside down case. Worked great.

    Also with grease groove boolits I did the same procedure on my singleshot rifles.

    This is with just an ordinary size die with the primer removal stem removed.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    I figure the neck sizing helps keep things concentric. So far it seems to be working nicely.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have a Lee "Factory Crimp Die" for 45 ACP. I just run about a 1/2" or so of the 45/70 neck into the die. The carbide ring sizes the neck just enough to work perfectly. May be an option if you should happen to have that die. Works for me.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check